Baseball pitcher training apparatus

ABSTRACT

Device for training the baseball pitcher with a structure formed by telescopic bars, some horizontal and others supported on a base. This base is supported by wheels. This bar truss positions the pitcher of the ball in baseball and also serves to train the throwing of the ball through it.

TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION

This system or device is intended for the sports domain, especially for baseball, so that all pitchers have the same pitching mechanics in a scientific way. Also as every movement has a scientific or logical explanation, it can be used in all players, who have to throw a ball at high speed, as it corrects all abnormal movements without any torsion movement, which is the cause of injuries.

Children, young people and adults, who wish to pitch, will benefit from them, as well as team owners, because there will be less injuries, for the simple reason that the pitchers will go up with the same throwing system and they will not have to change mechanics. This is one of the causes of injuries, mainly due to rotational movements, that each coach tries to teach their students in a very particular way.

As you can see, the investments made in pitching for millions of dollars, who have been having imperceptible micro-injuries, but that over time are enlarged and in the end, they are rendered useless as well as all the millions that had been paid are lost. With this new system, the team owners and the pitchers win.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PRIOR ART

The existing patents only talk about finding the strike zone, another talks about the foot drop, another about the way to remove the elbow and the arm, where the elbow is placed at shoulder height and the arm will extend over 90 degrees, but without a scientific explanation of why we should do so.

The patent No. is US2007123370 (A1)—2007 May 31 of the Pitching Technique Trainer. This invention relates to a device and method for training athletes to throw a ball, particularly to a device and method that provides guides for positioning an athlete's hand and throwing elbow optimally before the start of the throwing phase to throw a ball.

In our invention, we discuss about searching for a mechanics that is common for all pitchers. The arm is extended to 180 degrees or more than the shoulder because the longer the lever arm, the less force required to move weight and so Archimedes states when describing the third degree lever, that moves small mass at great speeds. Rising the arm higher than the shoulder is after that established by Galileo, who stated that if we lift weight and drop it from above, we will get a uniformly accelerated motion.

As for the bending of the elbow, it occurs when the pull made by the glove arm towards the thorax in a reaction-action mechanism described in Newton's Third Law, also stated in a uniformly synchronized motion without any kind of pause.

Another known invention is US2009011873 (A1)—2009 Jan. 8, which consists of an Artificial Pitching Surface. This invention describes an artificial pitch mound. The artificial pitch mound includes an artificial pitch rubber and an artificial pitch stride component that can be filled with microbeads or granules. The artificial pitch mound reduces repetitive motion injuries for baseball and softball pitchers. The artificial pitch mound also enables a positive development of muscle memory with a surface that doubles the feeling of natural grass during the practice session and allows the athlete's muscles to react in the same way both on artificial surface and on natural grass.

In our invention, the drop of the forward foot falls with the tip of the foot first, then the heel in the set line, since it falls with better support and slips less. The foot that rests on the bot will fall parallel to the other contributing to the sagittal drop of the body.

The head is kept in the same fall for all pitchers, since central bar #8 prevents it from making any other movement, thus, making the pitcher keep looking towards the batter and preventing from getting hit at the pitcher's area, in the head or any part of the body.

The glove arm is placed at a lower height of the shoulder, to take it by a pull to the body always above central bar #8, making the pitcher have the throwing arm is loose above the arm with a mandatory mechanism of action-reaction, and uniformly synchronized.

The throwing arm extended to 180 degrees set by a flexible attachment as seen in FIG. 2 drawing #3, also causes the elbow to leave at a height set by the inverted L-bar formed in FIG. 1 bar #1 and 2 drawing #9 higher than the shoulder where the pull of the glove arm bends the elbow, also contributing to leaving the arm above the shoulder.

Bar #1 of the inverted L of FIG. 1 drawing #6 means that the foot drop cannot advance more than as set by this system, and bar 5 that is between the distal bar #5 and bar #5 proximal sets the amplitude of the fall of the long or short support foot, since it will accommodate the pitcher so as not to drag the throwing arm, contributing to all throws leaving equally, where only the wrist changes for all types of pitchers, to avoid injuries due to rotational movement or torsion of both the shoulder and the elbow.

When throwing the ball, the elbow of the arm throwing the ball must pass through the knee or reach the knee leading to a good looseness, preventing injuries due to incongruity between agonist and antagonist muscles see drawing #4.

I have been working on the mechanics of pitchers since 1998 and I noticed that it was difficult for me to make those who practice pitching take out their arm, with those movements that, for the articulation of the shoulder and elbow were the most normal possible, but even when making the effort, it was difficult to improve. (REASON TO BE OF THIS SYSTEM). Since with this system, all the movements of the pitchers are corrected in a week and all obtain the same mechanics.

In addition, the scientific part of this system is proposed: by Galileo, where it was stated that dropping mass from above was demonstrated, that it increased the speed in a uniformly accelerated way, and by rising the arm as high as possible, it a push of the mass at high speed, aided by the mechanism of the NEWTON action-reaction, where the pull of the arm towards the body causes the arm holding the mass to bend the elbow effortlessly, thus making a uniform movement mind synchronized, and similarly using the principle of ARCHIMEDES suggesting that when the power is between the support point (FOOT) and the resistance would be the third degree lever, where the knee extended in the fall, the body and the arm would be considered power and the ball resistance, when it is suggested that this lever mechanism moves small mass at large speeds.

DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

This system comes to innovate what years ago it had to become, and so many injuries had been avoided and so many surgery, that there would be a before and after with this system. An end to injuries will be reached.

First;—Make all pitchers have the same mechanics, or the same movements from the scientific point of view, where torsion movements are avoided and therefore, injuries such as headache of pitchers as well as team owners who make big investments.

Second;—Change the mechanics of pitchers in a week, without causing injuries.

Third;—Make them last longer by pitching in a single period. (Hypothesis 10 to 15 years when children practice from the beginning with this system)

Fourth;—Make you spend more years pitching in performing your occupation. (Hypothesis 7 to 55 years when children practice from the beginning with this system)

Fifth;—Make the pitcher suffer less trauma due to the bad fall when the batter bats around the pitcher's area, since it corrects that the head is kept sagittally, without any torsion movement.

Sixth;—Makes the player increase speed for each throw, since when there are no injuries along with seniority, speed increase is almost certain. (Hypothesis 110 to 135 miles when children practice from the beginning with this system)

Seventh;—This system will make no difference in taking out the arm, everyone will do the same.

Eighth;—Makes the pitcher's fall to be sagittal, without any torsion movement.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1-1.—The art of throwing is composed of a large amount of synchronized L-shaped motions. The glove arm should be below the shoulder, and in the direction of the catcher in order to improve the direction of the ball and a better pull. (Newton's action-reaction mechanism) The extension of the arm to 180 degrees will be realized by the flexible part attached to distal bar 11, and will be able to rise and fall according to the length of the arm.

FIG. 1-2. —The fall of the support foot should start with the tip of the foot, that should be directed towards the catcher and then the heel. It provides more safety in the fall and fewer injuries occur. (Less rotational movement). The arm throwing the ball should bring the elbow as close to the knee. (Law of universal gravitation) Also the body in its prior axis, will be the one that moves forward without pushing the leg in an action-reaction where the point of support is the foot, the power is the knee extended in the fall and the resistance is the ball in the hand with the arm extended, from where the start-up of the ball will be implemented. (Archimedes 3rd grade lever)

FIG. 1-3.—The direction of the drop foot must be perpendicular with the foot of the bot (better balance and stability in the fall) between the proximal bar or bot and distal bar 5 there is bar 5 that will shortlive the decrease or amplitude of the drop foot not to drag the arm when throwing but it will be from top to bottom to make a uniform movement accelerated as set by Newton and uniformly synchronized by me.

FIG. 1-4. —The leg drop must be straight when launching the ball. (Law of universal gravitation), in the same way, the inverted L is observed allows the right leg not to perform a torsion movement in the right-handed pitcher and the opposite in the left-handed pitchers.

FIG. 1-5.—It is intended that this figure sets the heel arch to be perpendicular with the foot drop. In this figure you can see the amplitude stop of the foot drop that is limited by bar 5 that is between proximal bar 5 and distal bar 5.

FIG. 1-6.—Raise the arm by placing the nail of the first finger in front of the ground: (since birth the shoulder muscles are strengthened in that way, these are your normal movements when you walk and run).

FIG. 1-7.—This implies that when the glove arm gives the pull towards the thorax in a simultaneous movement, it bends the elbow of the throwing arm and where every action brings a reaction, with a uniformly accelerated movement and in a uniformly synchronized movement without any pause.

FIG. 1-8.—We can see the arm of the ball extended higher than the shoulder, the nail of the thumb directed towards the ground, the glove arm lower than the shoulder, and at the height of the central bar 8 to make the pull of the arm towards the thorax, and that way the ball arm elbow is synchronously bent.

FIG. 2-1.—The pull of the glove arm is the one bending the elbow in a single action-reaction, less injuries (see laws and principles). It also allows the elbow to bend to the required height since it can be raised and lowered according to the pitcher's height.

FIG. 2-2—The movements carried out must be synchronized, trying to do it on a single axis. (Sagittal axis) The box that is formed between bars 9 and 1 listed with 17 will give us the address to find the Strike area, which can be raised and lowered depending on the pitcher's height. In addition, the rectangle that is formed between bar 9, 20 and 11 will allow the arm to exit in a normal way without any torsional or rotational movement.

FIG. 2-3.—This implies the mechanism of raising and lowering the inverted L to adapt it to the pitcher's height.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

This system is formed by a square or rectangle of tube base 4-5. This base could be supported on a 4, 6, 9, 12 wheel, placed in each place forming a corner, where the points observed in the figures mean the shortening or lengthening system, depending on the context of the pitcher. This rectangle is divided by two more rectangles by bar 8, holding three bars #9-9-9)—vertical and 6 feet high, which could be lengthened or decreased in length, which is where the bars #8 rest)—horizontal central and upper 8, which will lengthen or shorten according to the length of the pitcher.

Bar #8)—in FIG. 1 it is formed by three bars, although the number of bars could depend on the strength of the material, in this case the horizontal bars are marked with #8, if it is iron it could be formed with a central bar, the other bars could be made of rubber material or other flexible materials shown in (FIG. 2). The central bar can be supported by two vertical distal and proximal bars supported by a base that could be square even with wheels, on the distal, it could have another base with a vertical bar to form the square of the strike zone, which can be lowered or raised, so that the ball goes to the desired height see #17.

Bars #10-11-2)—FIGS. 1 and 2 will have a bar at the proximal end, in the form of a box or rectangle, bilateral at the height of 3 to 4 feet, which could also be formed with metal and other flexible material, to correct the removal of the arm, which will lengthen or shorten depending on the pitcher's texture and the length of the arm, which would be corrected left and right at the same time.

Bars #1-2)—(1) will have another bar system, which could be independent of the other system with a support base and a bar in (L) inverted both arm of the (L) will lengthen or shorten. This will contribute to improve the height of the elbow to mount the ball, so that all pitchers try to throw over the arm. (2) In addition, the lower arm will be used to allow the right foot not to exceed the limit of that arm from the (L) for the right-handed pitcher, and the opposite if the pitcher is left handed.

Bars #5-6-7)—(5) It will have a proximal bar that will act as a bot and (6) that will carry a thread, teeter-totter, rubber or any line that marks a direction that will go from the pitcher's heel arch of the right foot to the tip of the (7) plate or home, to make the pitch be as sagittal as possible. This system could be unilateral or bilateral so that two pitchers could be corrected at the same time, the left and right-handed.

Bars #1-and-9)—in a distal bar between (1) and (9) a 2 foot by 2 box could be formed by 2 rubber feet or teeter-totter at a height of 3 to 4 feet, see #17 FIGS. 1 and 2, that could rise or fall depending on the pitcher's height, used in order to find the strike zone, and will be in the center of the line that goes from the heel arch to the plate.

Bar #5 between distal bar (5) and proximal bar #5 bot, crossed by the thread or rubber (6) going from the bot to the plate or home, will serve to control the fall of the foot, if thrown long or short, see FIG. 1.

Central bar 8 has the function of preventing the head from moving laterally and staying in the sagittal plane, avoiding the trauma caused by the bat hit through the pitcher's area, in addition, it sets the glove arm's height to perform the pull towards the thorax, since you are going to contribute with the bend of the elbow.

FIG. 2 is the same system as FIG. 1, but as I explained, it is formed depending on the strength of the material, in this system we use tubular iron where central bar 8 that corrects the head, so that it doesn't tile to the sides, is the one that holds the system together with 9 in base 18 that may or may not have a wheel.

The frame system formed by 1, 3 and 4, and square 1, 2 and 3, and the extension of bar 2 forms the inverted L has a double function, because it corrects the height where you want the elbow to come out and corrects the foot drop of the right-handed pitcher, so that it cannot pass from that bar and prevents a torsion movement of the support foot or left foot in right-handed pitchers, and changing this system to the other side corrects the left-handed pitcher.

The bar system 5.6 and 7 has three functions 5 times as bot 6 makes the left foot drop line to be in a sagittal plane and the 7th plate takes the direction of the ball, together with the frame formed by #7, which adapts to the height of the pitcher, releasing the ball in the same place to correct the strike zone.

The rectangle formed by #20,21 and 11 has the function of measuring the height of the throwing arm, either right- or left-handed, since we placed some flexible attachment so that it can be felt when the extended arm reaches 180 degrees. The other function is to prevent the arm to take any other torsion movement and prevents injuries. 

1- A system of scientific notion to correct the pitcher's mechanics characterized by square or rectangle, a bar system, bars 4 and
 5. This rectangle is divided by two more rectangles by bar 8, holding three bars #9-9-9)—vertical and 6 feet high, which could be lengthened or decreased in length, which is where the bars rest #8)—horizontal central and upper 8, which will lengthen or shorten according to the length of the pitcher. 2- The system of scientific notions to correct pitcher mechanics according to claim 1, characterized by the square or rectangle formed by bar #1, 3 and 4, and another formed of bar 1, 2 and 3 that are mounted on bar 4 that is formed on the right and left side, from where with the extension of bar 2 the inverted L is formed, which corrects the elbow and the right leg when the right-handed pitcher and applies to the other side for the left-handed pitcher. 3- The system of scientific notions to correct pitcher mechanics according to claim 1, characterized in that; lower bar 8 supports perpendicular bar 9 that support the central and upper 8 bars, central bar 8 fulfills two important functions, the first is correcting the head so that it is held in a sagittal position, and the other function is that, the glove arm starts the pull of the arm towards the thorax and this pull contributes to the bend of the elbow in a uniformly synchronized movement. 4- The system of scientific notions to correct pitcher mechanics according to claim 1 characterized by FIG. 1 is characterized by square or rectangle #5 and 4 that with a bar system, divides it into a double rectangle in tube or in profile, the division it is made by three vertical bars of six feet height #9 that increase in size or decrease to adapt it to the texture and height of the pitcher and three horizontal bars #8, which are also going to lengthen or decrease in size, on the sides of each rectangle leaves the #4 a 5-6-7)—(5) It will have a proximal bar that will act as a bot and (6) that will carry a thread, teeter-totter, rubber or any line that marks an address, which will go from the arch of the heel of the right foot of the pitcher to the tip of the (7) plate or home, to make a throw as sagittal as possible, similar to the left-handed pitcher. 5- The system of scientific notions to correct pitcher mechanics according to claim 1, characterized by; From proximal vertical bar #9 that holds the central bar 8 and upper bar 8 that extends a double bilateral rectangle formed by #11, 12, 13 and 14 to correct the throw of the throwing arm, where the arm should be higher than the shoulder and extended to 180 degrees. 6- The system of scientific notions to correct pitcher mechanics according to claim 1 characterized by; where the rectangle forms by bar 11, 12, 13 and 14 a flexible material of the distal bar 11 is placed to extend the arm as much as possible to touch it at the height of where it is desired to raise the arm always higher than the shoulder, this system could be unilateral or bilateral, with which two left and right pitchers could be corrected. 7- The system of scientific notions to correct pitcher mechanics according to claim 1 characterized by; The square is formed from the side square of bar #1 to bar 9, for the strike zone which rises and falls depending on the height of the pin from which the ball is to be released. And it is bilateral for right and left handed pitchers, in FIGS. 1 and 2 they are numbered with #17. 8- The system of scientific notion to correct the pitcher's mechanics according to claim 1 characterized by; FIG. 2 is the same system as FIG. 1, but as I explained, it is formed depending on the strength of the material, in this system we use tubular iron where central bar 8, supporting the system, that corrects the head, so that it doesn't tile to the sides, is the one that holds the system together with 9 in base 18 that may or may not have a wheel. 9- The system of scientific notion to correct the pitcher's mechanics according to claim 1 characterized by; The frame system formed by 1, 3 and 4, and square 1, 2 and 3, and the extension of bar 2 forms the inverted L has a double function, because it corrects the height where you want the elbow to come out and corrects the foot drop of the right-handed pitcher, so that it cannot pass from that bar and prevents a torsion movement of the support foot or left foot in right-handed pitchers, and changing this system to the other side corrects the left-handed pitcher. 10- The system of scientific notion to correct the pitcher's mechanics according to claim 1 characterized by; The combinations of bars #5, 6 and 7 has three functions, 5 times the bot, 6 makes the left foot drop line, to make the body drop be in a sagittal plane and the 7th plate takes the direction of the ball, together with the frame formed by #17, which adapts to the height of the pitcher, releasing the ball in the same place to correct the strike zone and the bilateral form for the left- or right-handed pitcher. 11- The system of scientific notion to correct the pitcher's mechanics according to claim 1 characterized by; The rectangle formed by #20, 21 and 1 of FIG. 2 has the function of measuring the height of the throwing arm, either right- or left-handed, since we placed some flexible attachment so that it can be felt when the extended arm reaches 180 degrees. The other function is to prevent the arm to take any other torsion movement and prevents injuries. 12- The system of scientific notions to correct pitcher's mechanics according to claim 1 characterized by; Central bar #8 has double functions, the first is to avoid head torsion, so that it is always as sagittal as possible, and the second function is that the pull of the glove arm is pulled from that height, taking it to the thorax, in an action-reaction mechanism, thus making the body in conjunction with the arm that throws the ball contribute to the thrust mechanism: Archimedes' third degree lever. 